Note:: I'm glad I got so many good reviews and I apologize for the format of the first chappie, I promise I'll fix it lol. Otherwise this chapter is up and I will make sure that it's much easier. . keep reviewing!!
Rukia slipped back into her seat without a word, her book closed and sitting lonely on her desk. She didn't know what had just happened there in the hallway. Somehow, something had shifted things between her and Ichigo and it was definately something. Something she couldn't explain and honestly was afraid to. She was afraid that if she even tried to understand it, the result would surely not be one she desired. So she sat there, staring at the far rounded off edge of her desk, thinking and wondering on the brink of worry that something had happened she couldn't stop.
Ichigo came in a moment later, but it felt like forever. What had he been doing out there? Punching the wall in anger at her no doubt. Again she mentally berated herself with that stone countenance he knew to be her norm. She should never have shown that moment of weakness, never should have reached out for him. It said much more than she had predicted and revealed things to him that she had never shown anyone. She could only pray Ichigo didn't fully understood the implications of her action. Her face turned red as she realized it herself.
She had reached out for him, to stop him, to ask for his company, friendship...what did that mean? Did she have feelings for Ichigo? No..surely not. Surely she wasn't attracted to this violent boy with a destructive personality that she had just met. Then again, if she did care for him, how would she ever know it? Soul Reapers, females at least, were not frequently permitted the luxury of dating and, long ago, she had forbidden herself completely. It made her weaker to have emotions not centered on the job and the last thing she needed in her line of work was distraction. Defiantly fighting off her invisible feelings, she stuck up her nose. Puh-lease, Ichigo? ...getting to her in such an utterly impossible way? Laughable. In fact, she now refused to even entertain the idea that he could.
Ms. Kunieda walked into the room happily instructing them to open their texts to page 200 and find a pen and paper. Rukia opened her desk to retrieve the necessary items and found the compartment devoid of any useful objects. She rolled her eyes she turned cautiously to the girl behind her.
Ichigo refused to look at them, they were already curious as to what had happened in the hall and if Ichigo didn't have answers himself he wasn't about to tell them anything. But--what had happened? He ground his teeth in frustration. She had reached out to him and touched him, in a way that she had done before. Only now it seemed to have an entirely different meaning...at least to him.
Her tiny hand on his arm had sent chills up his spine and it wasn't because she represented death regularly. But... if it wasn't that, then what was it? He looked over at her, hoping that something about the sight of her would answer his questions, clear his head. He saw her sitting there, motionless and stern. As always she was too focused on something he normally acquainted with unimportant. He kept watching as she turned to the girl behind her and asked her for some paper. That was when she glanced his way and they made eye contact.
She stared at him, unflinching, probably the same way he was staring at her. He couldn't decide what was going on in her head, but then again he never really knew..and the case for finding out was growing thinner. That was when, through the swollen blue of her left eye, she glared at him and broke contact. He grinned inwardly, his face softening only slightly. Same old Ruia, strong and defiant. Maybe nothing had changed.
The rest of the class Ichigo paid his shinigami teacher no attention, paid his books no attention, and paid his friends no attention..he was the typical student. Rukia however listened intently and fought bravely to ignore what she had done earlier. It wasn't until later on in the afternoon, during lunch that the group really talked again. Ichigo arrived promptly for lunch, his teriaki in hand and his smug smirk plastered on like usual..only it vanished when he found Rukia already there. The image of her sitting in that group of boys made his blood inexplicably boil and he thoughtlessly charged toward the group. There was Keigo, grinning like a dumbass, Mizuiro talkatively preoccupying her from being unnerved by Keigo's expression, and Chad, stoically sitting to the side munching on his rice. Rukia herself only had a couple small rice cakes and sweet rolls she had managed out of Yuzu's kitchen before leaving the house. Thinking back it had actually been much too close of a call. She'd have to start buying her lunch from the school--as revolting as that was.
"Rukia, you have the loveliest eyes," swooned Keigo, sweet and sour sauce dripping from the corner of his mouth. Mizuiro frowned and tossed at napkin at him.
"Wipe your mouth Keigo, you're disgusting," he said. Keigo felt at his mouth while Rukia vailantly attempted zero contact with either boy. Once Keigo found the sauce and wiped it away his nose went into the air.
"Nah, I don't think it's disgusting. Do you Rukia?" he crooned. Rukia turned pink and shoved a rice cake in her mouth to avoid answering.
"Why would you ask her a thing like that, of course it's disgusting," Chad replied flatly. Keigo indignantly held his napkin tight near his face.
"Well some girls find that primal messiness attractive," he protested and inwardly Rukia wondered what kind of girls he was talking about. That was when Ichigo's domineering presence towered over them, his shadow shading Rukia and the look of sheer relief on her face. Keigo looked up at him with disappointment and gestured descretly for Ichigo to go away while Mizuiro smiled briefly, going back to his lunch. Ichigo thought only for a second as to where he would sit, before deciding Keigo was being too friendly with Rukia. He plopped down between them, despite the tight squeeze, and loudly stretched as he opened his lunch and knocked Keigo over. This gave him some more room and told Keigo to back off without Rukia thinking anything of it.
"So what chu got today?" asked Mizuiro. Keigo pouted as he sat back up and dug into his bag, muttering to himself.
"Yuzu's fresh from the oven Teriaki Chicken, some sauteed noodles and onions and some rolls," he answered surveying his food. Mizuiro licked his lips.
"Yum...you always have the best food," he half groaned. Ichigo grinned proudly. It was an absolute fact that Ichigo had the best tasting food in all the school, a fact that made Yuzu's head swell more often than he'd like but also one he was eternally grateful for. He had just picked up his chopsticks, listening to Mizuiro talk about his grandma's cooking when he spotted Rukia eyeballing his chicken. Protectively he turned away from her and shoveled a full bite into his mouth.
"Are you hungry Miss Rukia?" asked Chad, bringing the attention of the other boys down on her. Ichigo glared at her, defending his food.
"No..I have lunch...I was just curious as to what this teriaki chicken was...people eat chickens?" she asked naively. Ichigo nearly swallowed his esphogus, his face turning bright purple.
"Ichigo? Are you okay?" Mizuiro questioned. He waved his arms and glared daggers at Rukia but was incapable of coherent response. He pointed at her and growled through his clogged throat.
"Oh, I get it. He's upset that Rukia's never had chicken and wants her to have some!" Keigo concluded. Sticking his own chopstick into Ichigo's plate he impaled a chunk of meat and extended it to her. Ichigo began struggling when suddenly Chad's voice spoke up.
"She might be a vegetarian, don't push it on her." He smiled friendily at her and she nervously grinned back, realizing she had said too much and half worrying over rather Ichigo was dying or not. She watched him as the boys discussed this new thought.
"Oh I didn't think of that," Keigo said discouragedly and before he could put the meat in his mouth Ichigo snatched it out of his hands. He swallowed hard, no longer was he choking and no longer would he sit by silent while they handed out his food.
"I am not upset that she's never had chicken, in fact I find it hilarious!! Besides it wouldn't matter if she wasn't a vegetarian! That's mine and no one said you could give it away!" he snarled before throttling Keigo in the side of the head. Mizuiro chuckled and everyone got a good laugh until Ichigo turned back to Rukia, hiw face ripping up with the beginnings of a new emotion. "Seriously, Rukia, you've never had chicken before?" this time he sounded floored, as though this was an utter impossiblity. Rukia scowled at him. She didn't like where this was going.
"No," she said sternly, insinuating for him not to go wherever he was planning on. He didn't take the clue and instead plunged ahead.
"That's great! Who has never had chicken? You'd have to be some kinda freak to not know what chicken tastes like! HA, that's great," he laughed out right. Mizuiro giggled along, though quietly. "You've never had chicken, ahhh that's wonderful!" he added.
"I don't see what's so funny, Ichigo," she growled. Ichigo stopped laughing at the dark look on her face. Ooookay, maybe he should stop while he was ahead. Just to soothe things over he handed her some, his chopsticks stacked taller than Keigo's had been.
"Here, try it," he said, his face kind now instead of evil with laughter. Rukia gingerly accepted the offering and cautiously took it toward her mouth. The boys, excluding Ichigo who sat waiting, moved in for a closer look to see if she would actually like the flavor. She hesitated, coaching herself, and then shoved it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up instantly and she smiled, bits falling out the corner of her mouth.
"ish wonduhfuwl," she cooed, chewing difficultly but trying nonetheless. Ichigo smiled genuinely at her. She could be so cute sometimes it wasn't funny and this was definately one of those times. Keigo and Mizuiro shared a high five while Chad simply looked on. Rukia made eye contact with that fool of a boy who insulted her five seconds ago and noticed the most bizarre look on his face. She furrowed her brows, questioning him silently as she chewed, but he jerked his eyes away, shoving some bread in his mouth in a defiant measure to prove he wouldn't answer her unspoken inquiry. No one had noticed a thing, but them. Another inexplicable moment. Rukia's brain went into overdrive.
NA:: WHADDYA THINK??? should there be a sequel? Don't forget to review! . SweetMiss